49 pages • 1 hour read
Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland
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Book Brief
214
Book • Nonfiction
Jedwabne, Poland • 1940s
2000
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Neighbors by Jan Tomasz Gross recounts the tragic events of July 10, 1941, in the Polish village of Jedwabne, where non-Jewish residents brutally attacked their Jewish neighbors, leading to the death of around 1,600 Jews who were corralled into a barn and burned. The massacre was organized by local officials with Nazi consent but without direct German involvement. After the war, the incident was obscured but later brought to light through historical testimonies and investigations. The book addresses deeply sensitive topics, including antisemitism and the Holocaust.
Dark
Unnerving
Informative
Mysterious
Challenging
Reviews & Readership
3,476 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Neighbors by Jan Tomasz Gross elicits strong reactions. Its meticulous research into the Jedwabne massacre in WWII Poland earns critical acclaim for shedding light on local complicity in the Holocaust. However, some critique its reliance on limited sources and question its broader implications, arguing it oversimplifies complex historical contexts. An essential yet contentious read.
Who Should Read Neighbors?
A reader who would enjoy Neighbors by Jan Tomasz Gross is likely interested in Holocaust studies, Eastern European history, and the sociology of ethnoreligious violence. Fans of Hannah Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem and Timothy Snyder’s Bloodlands may find this book compelling for its meticulous investigation and moral inquiry.
3,476 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Wyrzykowski Family
Wyrzykowski Family
A Polish family from Janczewo who assisted Jewish neighbors escaping the Jedwabne pogrom, later facing stigma and threats for their actions.
Szmul Wasersztajn
Szmul Wasersztajn
A Polish resident of Jedwabne who survived the 1941 pogrom and provided a comprehensive report on the massacre, saved by the Wyrzykowski family.
Boleslaw Ramotowski
Boleslaw Ramotowski
One of 20 men tried for the Jedwabne massacre, for whom the trial in Lomza is named.
Józef Sobuta
Józef Sobuta
An accused instigator of the Jedwabne massacre who was put on trial in 1953 and later released, known for his involvement in dismantling a monument during the pogrom.
Bronislaw Sleszynski
Bronislaw Sleszynski
Owner of the barn where Jedwabne’s Jews were burned, noted for his complicity in the massacre despite no direct participation.
Marian Karolak
Marian Karolak
The mayor of Jedwabne who ordered the roundup of Jews for the massacre, later arrested by Germans for not sharing confiscated property.
Karol Bardón
Karol Bardón
A German-speaker from Silesia and one of the defendants in the Ramotowski trial, who served as an intermediary and later worked for German police.
The Laudanski Brothers (Zygmunt and Jerzy)
The Laudanski Brothers (Zygmunt and Jerzy)
Notorious murderers during the Jedwabne pogrom, with Jerzy considered the worst among the accused, who later claimed nationalist Polish upbringing and involvement with insurrection groups.
214
Book • Nonfiction
Jedwabne, Poland • 1940s
2000
Adult
18+ years
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